A young man picked up an abandoned leaky boat from the sea and mended it several times. Then, singing songs, he went out fishing every day. Even if he returned empty, he would lie on the beach after getting off the boat, basking in the sun, and singing songs; life was happy every day.
There was a fishmonger who lived in a villa on the shore. He left early and returned late every day. When he got home, he was always counting how much he earned and lost. He was sad all day long, looking at the sea and the weather from time to time, and worried about the fluctuation of fish prices with a heavy heart.
Seeing that the fisherman was so happy, the fishmonger thought: I have so many fish, but I can’t be satisfied. He didn’t catch a single fish. Why is he so happy and in such a good mood?
To find out why, the fisherman put a piece of gold in the other fisherman’s boat.
As the sun went down, the fisherman returned to the boat. He was overjoyed when he saw the piece of gold.
He weighed the piece of gold in his hands and hoped that he could replace this leaky boat, which had been mended again and again, with a bigger one. So that he could harvest a boat of fish every day and then buy a bigger boat, he could hire a few fishermen to go fishing for him.
His thinking was that, in this way, it wouldn’t take long for him to be the biggest fishmonger on the shore and then monopolize the fish price to become the wealthiest person nearby.
The fisherman was no longer happy
The fisherman thought about it all night, and he forgot to sing that night. The fishmonger had been watching outside, and he knew what made the fisherman stop singing. from that night, the fisherman was troubled, and people could no longer hear him sing.
He sold the leaky boat and borrowed a usury loan to buy a big boat with the piece of gold. Carrying a large amount of debt, he lived under pressure every day.
Many years later, the fisherman also became a fishmonger, living in a villa on the shore, busy counting his money, frowning all day long, watching the sea and the weather every day, and worrying about the fish prices. He had too many worries, and there was no longer a moment of peace in his heart or happiness.
One day, a tornado drove several of his fishing boats to hit the rocks, causing heavy losses. The fisherman was in a terrible mood and looked anxious. He walked on the beach and met a singing homeless man. This reminded him of his carefree days, and he couldn’t help to ask the homeless man a question.
“You have nothing; how can you be so happy?”
But the homeless man said: “How can I have nothing? I have sandy beaches, sunshine, good health, and no worries about food or clothing.”
The fisherman realized that only contentment can lead to being happy in this world. Joy is not just talking; every moment, the heart is content.
He looked at the happy homeless man, who reminded him that he was once such a contented person. However, he could never return to the past, because he couldn’t return to his true nature. That piece of gold took away his happiness. But what is that piece of gold?
Let people be themselves and live in an easy and thorough way. After losing authenticity, happiness, and inner peace, their desires can never be satisfied. Only contentment can bring out joy from the heart.
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